Contestants of the 2015 Coral Coast Carnival have been urged to advocate on the protection of corals and corals reefs as they are provide food, jobs, income and protection to billions of people worldwide.
Opening the carnival in Sigatoka last night, Assistant Minister for Local Government Lorna Eden says corals and coral reefs are continually threatened by development, pollution, invasive species, disease, bleaching and global warming.
She says Eden says the rapid decline and loss of these valuable, ancient and complex ecosystems, will have significant social, economic and environmental consequences for everyone and the Coral Coast is no exception.
Eden says the coral and coral reefs, and the creatures that call them home, are in danger of disappearing if action is not taken to protect them.
She adds the Carnival is appropriately themed – “Save the Coral for our Future” as Sigatoka is located on Fiji’s famous Coral Coast.
Eden requested those present to proactively protect our coral and reefs within the means that are available to us and one way this can be done is to stop littering!
Meanwhile, the winner of the carnival will be given the opportunity to represent Sigatoka and the Coral Coast at this years ‘Miss Fiji Pageant’ next month.
